Elisabeth LaMotte
(A version of this review can also be found on Psychology Today.) Sigmund Freud described denial as one of the ego’s defenses against intolerable psychological pain. His daughter, Anna Freud, expanded this idea, suggesting that denial can sometimes be a necessary and even adaptive part of healthy development rather than simply a pathological symptom. We…
It’s back-to-school season and for college freshman, that means a wave of transition for students and families. It was a such a pleasure to discuss these important family dynamics with Jacqueline, a host of Good Day DC. I thought I would share some of the thoughts from our conversation below: 1. How much communication is…
Friday March 20th was International Happiness Day. It was a pleasure to speak with DC’s beloved NBC anchor Tony Perkins to discuss some thoughts about how to cultivate happiness and meaning. Before the interview, NBC requested some thoughts on the topic which are listed below. Wishing everyone a happy belated International Happiness Day. 1. Shift…
I’ve long believed that novels can do something therapy alone sometimes cannot. A powerful story slips past our defenses. It names feelings we have not yet found language for. It lingers. So when a client tells me a book moved him, I listen. When several clients mention the same book, I consider it part of…
Parenting continues to evolve, and the way we live and inhabit our homes evolves in parallel. Thank you, Spencer, for sharing such important, honest insights that highlight your clinical skills, your humor, and your emotional intelligence. Millennials who grew up as bedroom kids notice they are raising living room kids.
Last weekend, at a friend’s suggestion, my husband and I watched the 2013 film The Lunchbox—a surprisingly moving and unexpected love story that unfolds through something almost quaint by today’s standards: handwritten notes. The premise is simple and quietly heartbreaking. Ila (Nimrat Kaur) wants to recapture her husband’s dwindling attention. Sensing they’ve fallen into a…
Friday, October 10th was World Mental Health Day—a time to focus globally on emotional well-being. Established in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), this annual event reminds us that mental health deserves attention all year long. While many hoped that the end of the…
What We Believe, What We Remember, What We Inherit Families, relationships, and communities shape us in ways both obvious and invisible. Jonathan Spector’s This Much I Know explores how our personal histories, inherited beliefs, and the stories we tell ourselves collide—sometimes painfully, sometimes with unexpected insight. In this beautifully acted play, competing truths coexist, challenging…
Remember the old song about making new friends and cherishing old ones? “Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold.” That lyric came to mind as I watched ART, the hit Broadway revival now playing at the Music Box Theatre. The show, starring Bobby Cannavale, James Corden, and Neil…
Imagine your older sister—tattooed, disheveled, possibly drunk, and definitely uninvited—showing up on your doorstep with emotional baggage and a grudge. Now imagine she’s a character on a glossy streaming series. Two of the buzziest shows this month—Sirens (Netflix) and The Better Sister (Amazon Prime Video)—lean into this exact setup. On the surface, they’re frothy and…